The use of environmentally beneficial compositions, especially those that are referred to as “green”, is important in choosing biocidal materials that have controlled release (also referred to as extended release) properties and also can be used as preservatives. The use of natural or naturally-derived materials is also very much of interest in topically applied and ingested compositions. It is also important that both green and naturally-derived materials be utilized in a composition that will provide antimicrobial, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral and skin/hair beneficial properties as well as preservative capability and controlled release properties. If all of the components of a biocidal composition are GRAS
(Generally Regarded as Safe) and are approved for food use, the resulting composition could also be ingested with little or no side effects. Since the use of food-grade materials are being promoted as a strategy of selecting ingredients that are intended to be applied to skin/hair, compositions utilizing GRAS ingredients would meet such need.
Many presently-used preservatives are not green and are not natural or naturally-derived and many are not approved for food use. There is a growing movement in the cosmetics industry to avoid the use of ingredients that cannot be eaten. Furthermore, commonly-used preservatives do not possess controlled release properties which would allow continuous release of the preservative at effective levels as the preservative is consumed. If a preservative composition having controlled release properties also included GRAS ingredients that have an antimicrobial component as well as a naturally occurring component that has skin/hair benefits, then such approach would be beneficial in reducing the potential irritation from hash chemicals while improving skin/hair health.